Mass‐ratio and complementarity effects simultaneously drive aboveground biomass in temperate Quercus forests through stand structure

Ecology and Evolution

Yu‐Tang Li¹  Dong‐Li Gao²  Wen‐Qiang Gao²  Xiang‐Dong Lei² 

[1] Jilin Forestry Inventory and Planning Institute Changchun China;Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling State Forestry and Grassland Administration Institute of Forest Resource Information TechniquesChinese Academy of Forestry Beijing China;

关键词: complementarity effect;    functional composition;    functional diversity;    mass‐ratio effect;    phylogenetic diversity;    species richness;   

DOI  :  10.1002/ece3.8312

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Forests play a key role in regulating the global carbon cycle, a substantial portion of which is stored in aboveground biomass (AGB). It is well understood that biodiversity can increase the biomass through complementarity and mass‐ratio effects, and the contribution of environmental factors and stand structure attributes to AGB was also observed. However, the relative influence of these factors in determining the AGB of Quercus forests remains poorly understood. Using a large dataset retrieved from 523 permanent forest inventory plots across Northeast China, we examined the effects of integrated multiple tree species diversity components (i.e., species richness, functional, and phylogenetic diversity), functional traits composition, environmental factors (climate and soil), stand age, and structure attributes (stand density, tree size diversity) on AGB based on structural equation models. We found that species richness and phylogenetic diversity both were not correlated with AGB. However, functional diversity positively affected AGB via an indirect effect in line with the complementarity effect. Moreover, the community‐weighted mean of specific leaf area and height increased AGB directly and indirectly, respectively; demonstrating the mass‐ratio effect. Furthermore, stand age, density, and tree size diversity were more important modulators of AGB than biodiversity. Our study highlights that biodiversity–AGB interaction is dependent on the regulation of stand structure that can be even more important for maintaining high biomass than biodiversity in temperate Quercus forests.

【 授权许可】

Unknown